This invention relates generally to hoses and more particularly to hoses adapted to resist biological and chemical attacks.
Chemical and/or biological warfare represents an extreme threat to both military and civilian personnel in any future conflict. The 1991 Persian Gulf War verifies that as many as 20,000 troops may have been exposed to chemical warfare agents which were drifting at low levels in the air.
This fact, in conjunction with the requirement that the troops be supplied with water by the tactical water distribution system (TWDS) in conjunction with the reverse osmosis water purification units (ROWPU), created a potential danger for the troops.
Besides the TWDS, a great number of other hoses were placed "at risk" by the chemical and biological attacks. These included oxygen lines used in air-craft, gas mask hoses, and other ventilation mechanisms.
Without proper protection, troops are at extreme risk to these types of attacks. Even further, once deployed, TWDS hoses must be either de-contaminated before use or discarded since even trace residual elements of a chemical or biological agent can be deadly to personnel handling them.
There exists a great need for a hose which was resistant to chemical and biological attack and which could be easily cleaned without causing the hose to degrade.